Research progress on urban river landscapes and equilibrium profile

Abstract

With the urbanization development, urban rivers have experienced great changes in the form and stability in the past 60 years, and the problem of urban water ecological security has been highlighted. Using a compilation of research results from more than 100 studies conducted globally, this paper is intended to do the following: i) describe variable river responses to urbanization in terms of river morphology, runoff and sedimentation system, stability, and other mechanisms; ii) summarize three major river classification systems in terms of methods including form-based method, process-based method and synthesis method; iii) evaluate evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of the above mentioned methods in judging processes like the degradation of river form, studying river hydrological process, predicting time periods on river evolution. Given that the evolving urban streams pose huge challenges for city management, successful strategies require a clear understanding of changing mechanisms of river form and stability in adjustment processes.